Life During the Depression

In 1930, 1.352 banks were suspended. More than 9,000 banks failed by 1933 and in 1932, 30,000 companies went out of business. By 1933 more than 12 million workers were unemployed. People went hungry and often stood in bread lines. People became fearful and couldn't move. Landlords would ask courts to envict them and bailiffs would then eject tenatnts, moving them to the streets. Farmers face the "Dust Bowl".

The hard times in the 1930s led people to prefer entertainment. Walt Disney, soap operars, John Steinbeck, and William Faulkner came about. Superman and Batman became the superheroes of the people. Radios captured peoples interest and tens of millions of people listened to radio daily. More than 60 million Americans went to the movies each week. Stars suchs as Shirley Temple and Jackie Coogan delighted viewers.



Standing in line for the movie
Standing in line for the movie